1993 Winchester 400

The twenty-fourth annual Featherlite Trailers Winchester 400 was held under All-Pro Series sanction on October 3, 1993, at the Winchester Speedway.

Mike Cope became the second different winner of the “Winchester 400” in as many years under the All-Pro Series sanction, by claiming the 24th running of the annual event. Starting from the 14th position, the win was Cope’s fifth of the season in the series and the first of his career at one of the most treacherous tracks in Motorsports.

Hal Goodson won the pole for the event and would lead the field for the first 87 circuits. While Goodson was sailing along up front, Cope was working steadily forward from his seventh-row starting position to run third by lap 74. Cope completed his run through the field when he passed Goodson for the lead on lap 88. Once in front, Cope would control the field until lap 182, when Gary Bradberry utilized fresh tires from a caution pit stop to charge by and into the lead. Shortly after losing the lead on lap 203, Bradberry began to slow and eventually retired with engine problems on lap 233.

Over the second half of the race, Jody Ridley, Goodson, and Cope all spent time at the front of the field. During the final round of pit stops, Cope was penalized by Series officials and placed at the tail of the running order. Working his way through lapped traffic, Cope finally caught and passed Ridley for the lead on lap 369. Once in front, Cope was never headed and held off the Georgia veteran by one-half car length to post the victory and claim and event-record $13,000 winner’s purse. Scot Walters came home third, three laps behind the lead duo with Billy Bigley, Jr. eleven laps behind in fourth followed by Royce Mason.

External links

* [http://www.winchesterspeedway.com/ Winchester Speedway website]
* [http://www.craracing.net/ Official CRA Website]